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Hello friends! It has been a LONG time since I updated this. I'm sorry to make you wait so long. Real life got in the way of writing for a minute there, but I'm trying to get back onto a schedule to make time for myself and some writing. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your support for this story. It means the word to me and keeps me coming back. So here we are Chapter 100! I can't believe it! It seems appropriate that the 100th chapter would be the start of one of my favorites, and one of the original episodes I had in mind when I began to dream up Kai's character.

You guys are the most amazing readers ever. Thank you!

Happy Reading

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Common Ground

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Kai stood perfectly still as John paced around her. She was like the calm in the center of the storm, waiting for him to make his move. John's feet moved across the mats, cross stepping as he twirled the bantos rods in his hands. The gym was quiet enough for her to hear the steady rhythm of his heart and the gentle puff of breath as he exhaled.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Kai's mouth as she admired the way he moved. It didn't matter how much time they spent together, he still excited her; the way his black t-shirt was fitted to his chest and how his muscles coiled as he moved. The dichotomy of the light hearted humor he showed the world and the intensity he kept hidden still fascinated her. His hazel eyes met hers for a brief second and he smirked as though he knew what she was thinking. Kai scowled at him and he chuckled.

They had been sparring together several times a week for months and it had honed their abilities. They were almost perfectly matched...almost...but in the last week Kai had been using a secret weapon to win. She would have felt bad had he not been so cocky when he was sure he caught her checking him out.

John paced around her, shifting so he was right at the edge of her peripheral vision. She drew in a deep breath and opened the connection between them. They had been spending a lot more time together and it made pushing the soft edges of the barrier that kept them apart even easier. She sucked in a breath as she felt John. His focus and intensity teased across her skin and made her shiver.

That, John did notice, and a cocky grin crossed his face. They had been moving slow. Not rushing into anything between them, but he loved to know he had that effect on her. He felt a sudden warmth open in his chest that felt exactly like Kai. It was their connection, their Bond. He pulled back, distracted and confused why it would suddenly be so strong.

In that moment Kai struck. She whipped around like a tornado, executing a fancy spin kick that he barely managed to avoid. John ducked his shoulder and swept the bantos rods for her feet, but he was half a beat behind her and she was already in motion again. She jumped at him and landed a knee to his chest taking him to the floor. She tried to push off and roll clear. He was stronger than her and grappling wasn't the best idea. She was faster on her feet.

John dropped the bantos rods and grabbed her ankle as she tried to scramble away from him. He jerked on it in a carefully executed use of strength. She hit the mat on her stomach and he pulled her back towards him. "Going somewhere?" he asked teasingly pulling her beside him.

Her breath was coming in fast pants and her eyes were glittering with excitement. This close it felt like she was the ball of light in his chest, so much stronger than he had ever felt it. It was like she was everywhere. "Did you do something?" he asked.

Her eyebrows shot up and a blush heated her cheeks, answering his question.

"Cheating," he growled teasingly and he twisted his hips, flipping them so he had her pinned to the mat beneath him.

Kai sucked in a breath and a shudder ran through her body as the weight of John settled against her. His hips were pressed against hers, pinning her to the floor. She could feel every dip of muscle. She pushed against him, but he wasn't going to be moved. A slow smile crossed her lips and John smirked, convinced he had won. He leaned down to kiss her and she made her move. She threw him off. John landed on the mat flat on his back and grunted as the air rushed out of his lungs. Kai rolled with him, snatching one of his bantos rods off the floor and pressed it against his throat.

"I win," she said with a glimmer in her eyes.

"Did you though?" John asked sardonically. "I think my idea would have been more fun...certainly less painful."

"Poor Colonel," Kai said with a playful pout and she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

Someone cleared their throat behind them. Kai and John immediately jumped apart. They climbed to their feet and turned to see Teyla and Lorne standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?" John snapped.

"Not that long-" Teyla started to say.

"-Too long," Lorne grumbled, looking uncomfortable.

John cleared his throat. He and Kai had made the decision not to keep their relationship a secret, but they also hadn't gone around announcing it either. It was likely to make people uncomfortable. John couldn't have it interfere with his credibility as military leader here and Kai was a very private person.

John resisted the urge to look at her, the warmth in his chest had faded as though she had pulled back or whatever it was she did with the Bond. It was less somehow and felt hollow and achy. He frowned, not liking the distance.

"We have received a contact from the Genii and Doctor Weir has asked us to join her in the control room," Teyla informed him.

John nodded and scooped up his towel. "You coming?" he asked glancing over his shoulder at Kai.

Kai shook her head. "I'm supposed to meet Zelenka in the lab, we are doing some work on the long range sensors today."

John smiled. "Exciting," he teased.

Kai lifted her chin defiantly. "It will be," she said a little severely.

John just laughed.

Lorne glanced at Kai a little nervously and shook his head when the Colonel just continued to tease her. He liked Kai, but she was a little intense and when she was this serious he had always felt it best to give her space. Why the Colonel continued to poke at her when there wasn't a glimmer of humor in her eyes he would never understand. Of course he didn't really understand their relationship. He knew they cared for one another, but while the Colonel was light hearted and liked to joke, Kai was painfully intense and serious. He didn't get it.

Lorne and Teyla turned to lead the way through the door. John turned back to Kai, flashed her a cocky grin and winked at her. A blush heated her cheeks and stretched his grin wider. "See you tonight," he promised her.

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Kai had been working on the long range sensors for about an hour in the control room. AR-1 and AR-2 were both off world and it was the perfect time to work. The control room was rarely this quiet.

"We have an incoming wormhole," Chuck reported.

Kai stood up with a frown, they weren't expecting anyone. Sheppard and Lorne's team shouldn't have been returning until much later in the day. Weir came out of her office her face mirroring the concern Kai felt.

"Doctor McKay's IDC," Chuck reported and as the gate activated so did the comms.

"This is McKay to Atlantis! We are coming in hot!" McKay shouted through the transmission. He sounded panicked and out of breath.

"Lower the shield! Gate security!" Weir called. The marines below appeared, forming a half circle around gate with their guns in their hands. Weir stood at the rail at a safe distance as the wormhole opened. McKay came running through seconds later.

Kai jogged down the stairs. She wasn't wearing any tech gear. Just her leggings and fitted long sleeved shirt under her work coveralls. She had only one of her Blades on her, strapped against her back in a spine sheath. She dropped her hand to the handle, her muscles coiling.

McKay was panting and dropped onto the stairs at her feet as he fought to pull in another breath. Kai hesitated, crouching beside Rodney, but he didn't appear injured. A moment later Teyla and Ronon ran through. The event horizon snapped closed behind them. Fear gripped Kai's chest. She shoved herself up from her crouch and ran down the stairs. Ronon stopped and turned to look back at the gate in confusion.

"Where's Colonel Sheppard?" Weir asked before any one else could.

"He was right beside me," Ronon said.

"Who was it?" Kai asked, her hands closing into fists. "Genii?" she asked, remembering Teyla saying they had received a transmission from the Genii.

"We have to go back," Teyla said turning to face Doctor Weir.

"Not alone," Elizabeth said and she reached up to activate her comm. "Major Rutherford come in," Elizabeth said. "Scramble a squad of marines."

Ronon turned to face Kai. "If you're coming with you better suit up."

Kai nodded and quickly hustled down to the locker room. She shoved her jumpsuit into her locker and pulled out her flakvest. She cinched down the sides and pulled on her belt, wrapping it around her waist and securing the thigh straps. She was just rewrapping her scarf as major Rutherford and a team of marines scrambled into the locker room to prepare to go off world. She didn't bother to wait for them. Instead she hustled back to the control room. Ronon, Teyla and Rodney were already standing near the gate ready to go as soon as they had permission.

"Another couple of minutes and they will be ready," Weir was telling Ronon, trying to get the large man to have patience.

"We ready?" Ronon asked when he looked up and watched as Kai walked into the control room in all of her Mortii glory.

Elizabeth pressed her lips into an angry line as her gaze landed on Kai. The Mortii looked like a walking arsenal. Elizabeth could see her main two knives, as well as the guns most of Atlantis' personnel carried. There was also various smaller knives strapped to her body. If ever there was any doubt in Weir's mind that Kai cared for the Colonel it would have been laid to rest in that moment. There was a dangerous gleam in Kai's black rimmed eyes as she stalked into the room. Her scarf was wrapped tightly around her head and covered most of her face as it did when she was going into combat situations.

"Am I to assume this is your formal request to join the team off world?" Elizabeth asked.

Kai arched a brow as though she were daring Elizabeth to deny her. "Sure," she said and the marines came jogging into the room.

"Dial the gate!" Ronon called before Weir could say anything.

The gate activated and Ronon and Kai were the first ones through. They had their weapons up and were scanning the surroundings but it was dead quiet. Kai frowned. She couldn't hear anything beyond the movement of the marines behind them. Not even any animals, let alone enough men to capture Sheppard.

Ronon held up his hand to stop them. "Fan out," he ordered the
Marines, "stay away from this area," he said pointing to the clearing in front of the gate.

Rutherford made a noise of impatience in his throat, but he gestured for his men to do as Ronon ordered. Rutherford knew enough about AR-1 to not bother trying to assume any kind of control. Everyone in the military knew Kai was a loose canon. She was here under the guise of helping the scientists, but she was one of the most dangerous people on the base. Ronon did as he pleased and while Teyla was more polite about it, she rarely followed procedure or orders unless they came directly from the Colonel. Together the three of them would stop at nothing to retrieve Sheppard. Without Sheppard the group of three aliens were as likely to be dangerous to his men as any enemy hiding in these trees. He didn't like it.

Kai paced around the clearing as Ronon crouched to study the tracks. She hated this part, hated that there was nothing for her to do, that she was powerless, and hated even more that she didn't feel him. She didn't need Ronon to tell her that John wasn't here. If he was, she would have felt him where he belonged in the quiet place in the back of her mind. Instead it was just emptiness and silence.

The cavernous pressure building there was slowly winding her tighter with each passing moment. She needed to do something.

"Well?" Kai asked impatiently after a few minutes.

"They took him through the gate," Ronon said motioning to the tracks. "They knocked him down here," he said, gesturing to where the footprints where the two of them had been running suddenly stopped. He pointed further away. "They closed in on him on all sides, and a group of at least ten men went through."

"McKay," Teyla called. "Would you please gather the-"

"Already on it," McKay said, although his tone was sharp, it was easy to see the concern in his eyes over his friend.

"I thought it was impossible to trace them that way," Rutherford said coming up beside them.

Kai's voice was a low growl, she didn't like the major she barely knew interfering with John's rescue. "It's all we've got."

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John stood at the door to his cell. "Kolya!" he called loudly trying to get some attention. The room outside the cells was dank and dark and there was no sign of light. So either it was night, or they were underground. It had been hard to tell when they brought him down since they had covered his head with a bag.

John had already searched the cell itself. It was fairly spacious as far as cells went, although not as nice as the one in the tower. Unfortunately he also didn't find any obvious quick and easy escapes.

"I didn't kill you last time remember!" he hollered, wishing he had in fact done just that. He had had the bastard at the end of a gun barrel and even knowing he was a threat, he had let him go. It looked like he was going to pay for that mistake.

John rattled the door again. "You promised me points for the remember?" he called. "Kolya!" he yelled, kicking the door. "Damnit I should have killed him," he grumbled turning away from the door and pacing across the cell.

"You're wasting your breath," a low, raspy voice came from the cell beside him.

John frown and turned to face a small window to the other cell. "I didn't know I had company down here," he said. He had been here a while, he was surprised the other prisoner had taken so long to speak up.

"There is no escape," the prisoner assured him.

John rolled his eyes. Just his kick he was going to get Sally sunshine as a prison buddy. "Yeah, well, prisons are like that," John agreed, stepping over to the small window between cells. The other cell was shrouded in shadow and made it impossible to see the other prisoner. "Never stopped me before...How long have you been down here?" John asked.

"Many years," the other man rasped. In the shadows Sheppard saw him shift, but he couldn't make out much beyond his basic shape. He looked like a big guy, long legs, but that was it. John hoped he was a fighter.

"How many is many? Five? Ten?" John asked glibly. He was getting the impression it was going to take a bit of work to motivate his cellmate.

"It no longer matters," the man rasped defeated my.

"That many, huh?" John said, looking at the way the bars connected to the frame. Unfortunately it looked like the Genii had done their work this time and it wouldn't be easy to bust out. "What did you do to get here?" John asked as he gave the bars an experimental tug. As he had anticipated they didn't move. They certainly had improved their craftsmanship over the last cell they held him in.

"I merely allowed myself to be captured alive," the man said.

"Same here," John agreed, and he turned back to face his cell, trying to find some kid of weakness. "Look, I got people looking for me," he said. "When they find me maybe we can both ah-"

An outer door opened and John stopped talking. He cocked his head to the side as he watched three men wearing Genii uniforms approach his cell. The first pulled out keys and unlocked the door, shoving it open. The second stood with a gun in his hands, his eyes locked on Sheppard.

"Move," he growled.

John smirked at the man. It was clear the three of them were afraid of him and taking every precaution. Fear was good, he could work with fear. "Where we moving to?" he asked conversationally refusing to budge. He was also great at annoying people and he wasn't about to quit now.

The man cocked the gun in response.

John chuckled as though the guy amused him. "I kinda like it here," he said gesturing to the cell. His eyes flickered to the third man. He wasn't sure what his purpose was and he was holding some kind of long black stick.

The second man raised the gun and shot just over John's shoulder. Plaster and cement exploded, hitting him in the back and neck. John shook the dust off of himself. "Ow," he said rubbing at his ear. Bells were ringing and he had a moment to wonder if the eardrum had been damaged. Patting against the ear to help alleviate the pressure he didn't think so.

"Commander Kolya insists," the thug growled.

"Oh, he insists?" John asked dropping his hands to his sides. "Well, why didn't you just say so?" he asked walking out of the cell. He passed the thug and as he turned to face the third man he swung around and punched the thug with the gun in the face. John reached for the gun and was suddenly hit with a surge of electricity. His legs buckled as his muscles seized. So that had been what was in the third man's hands, John thought and everything went black.

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I hope you enjoyed the update! We don't know it's him yet but who's excited for Todd?!